bikes

[Frank and Fred]

I have two water bottle cages on my bike but I will also pack a filtration system to refill along the way. I wouldn't want to ride 50 to 100 miles with much on back apart from my clothing.

[Mr. Pickles]

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kind of a weird question, but does anyone have experience biking with a hydration vest and/or have good recommendations? wanting to get get into significantly longer rides regularly without having to worry as much about water fill-up spots. i'm guessing they'll all manage bumps and other cycling movements pretty well due to them being primarily made for running, but they're probably not all made equal either. thanks for any info

[close]

No experience with those but do some longer rides with nowhere to get water. What works for me is a cage that can take a larger bottle. I use a velo orange Mojave cage that fits a 40oz Klean kanteen and then a regular squeeze bottle that holds 27oz and that’s usually enough. Can run a smaller water bottle too under downtube if you have the mounts. Also makes a big difference to hydrate some before riding.

[close]

The Mojave cage is good, I would also recommend the Arundel Looney Bin. It's much uglier than the Velo Orange cage but its ratcheting function is unmatched. I have two and they're great, allow me to carry two giant stainless steel bottles full of water.

I have a looney bin on my crust, I really like it, super adjustable. I don’t like wearing a backpack or pack when I ride so I’ll throw a bladder in my front bag on super long rides (swift zeitgeist) and have the hose available to drink and ride.

[Hash Slinging Slasher]

hell yeah. can't quote all of you in the same post but thanks for the recs. gnars all around.
i know it's dumb but i hate having a bunch of extra, or oversized, stuff strapped to my bike even though i have a bunch of extra mounts. trying to go more race style in an effort to not train but maybe sort of train for potential events over the summer.

[Mr. Pickles]

I saw this one in a promo email. The volume is pretty small imo, but it looks pretty comfortable:

https://www.theproscloset.com/products/camelbak-chase-bike-hydration-vest-50oz?lid=l89je488ec72

Shit, the more I look at it, the more I feel like I need one…

[manysnakes]

I saw this one in a promo email. The volume is pretty small imo, but it looks pretty comfortable:

https://www.theproscloset.com/products/camelbak-chase-bike-hydration-vest-50oz?lid=l89je488ec72

Shit, the more I look at it, the more I feel like I need one…

The large mesh shoulders look so much more comfortable than the tiny, skinny polyester straps on mine. Also the bladder is the same size but looks to be more square in shape, rather than the long rectangular one which I can feel swaying whenever I wear (hiking only, now).

And yeah, that shit is HOT, especially when you're deep in the red. The smaller the surface area, the better.

[Frank and Fred]

Not being able to skate properly has me leaning hard on my bikes for rolling therapy. Here's a little ride around Portland today on my beat up Free Spirit townie. Burnside cameo.

[manysnakes]

That's rad. It's always a blast to ride around Portland on a warm day. I hope you're able to skate again soon.

[Frank and Fred]

Thanks. Been easing back into it but really can't risk falling hard just yet.

[KoRnholio8]

Got the ultimate compliment yesterday - I was passing two young families going up a paved road towards a popular weekend "hike" spot and one of the fathers said to his children to "make room and let the electric bike pass". I'm not rich enough to buy an e-bike yet, but apparently I'm also too fit.

I got my ass handed to me on a disgustingly steep section later, which was not intended for biking, only hiking, so there's that.

[Mr. Pickles]

I fell over in super slow motion on a steep climb today and all I could do was laugh.

I think I’m going to drop a ton of money on a Rivendell frame tomorrow. Gonna sleep on it. Their builds are laughable though: $4k and you get an an alivio derailleur.

[Bill Salt]

biking is cool.too bad it hurts the ass...

[manysnakes]

I fell over in super slow motion on a steep climb today and all I could do was laugh.

I think I’m going to drop a ton of money on a Rivendell frame tomorrow. Gonna sleep on it. Their builds are laughable though: $4k and you get an an alivio derailleur.

Don't do it. Just buy a vintage Stumpjumper or an old lugged Trek for $100-200 and then build it "Riv" style.

[BartHarleyJarvis]

So I dropped something heavy onto the top type of my brand new pinarello and cracked it. Obviously my $300 fixy was a foot away but it had to fall on the carbon frame. I have less than 200 miles on it lmao

Disassembled the bike and off to the carbon repair shop. Should be riding again in a couple of weeks.

[Mr. Pickles]

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I fell over in super slow motion on a steep climb today and all I could do was laugh.

I think I’m going to drop a ton of money on a Rivendell frame tomorrow. Gonna sleep on it. Their builds are laughable though: $4k and you get an an alivio derailleur.

[close]

Don't do it. Just buy a vintage Stumpjumper or an old lugged Trek for $100-200 and then build it "Riv" style.

I’m over it. Their sizing is weird. I’m just going to rebuild that schwinn I posted a few pages back. I stripped the whole thing and blasted the paint away at the welds; frames still solid. I need to figure out where to get a wheel set with a coaster brake. The fork spacing is like 90, so I probably need a new fork too.

[apport]

just finished this single speed restoration on a raleigh grand prix i found in the dumpster last summer
i ended up replacing more than i wanted to, but the cost was low thanks to a mix of spare parts and co-op finds
this build also made me vow to never build a wheel again
but i probably will
it's been a long time since i had a nasty vintage road bike to single speed conversion to rip around on, love that this one has enough clearance to fit these knobby maxxis tires

[Frank]

such a dope fix up from a dumpster find to this! well done.

[Frank]

sorry for double post, but i'm thinking of buying an early 90s hardrock. the seller wants 90 euros, which is fairly cheap since people started selling their retro mtbs for super inflated prices. there's just a few problems.

the bike isn't rideable yet, but that's no biggie. apparently all that's missing are cables and a chain. everything else is allegedly cleaned up or renewed(new bb, wheels just straightened...) since this was a project bike. the seller just doesn't have the time, space, nor need to finish it. i could pick it up and at least install brake cables and a chain on a pinch and ride it in single speed i guess.

the other problem is that the bike is pretty far away. i'd need to take a trainride of a couple hours to pick it up. it might probably take the whole day to get it and get back home. makes me think if i should just wait for another one to pop up in my city at some point.

i'd love to make a single speed/fixed gear/tracklocross bike out of this... i can't have too many bikes, but i wanted a fixed gear for a while, not too haul ass, but rather to learn stuff like riding backwards and such. and tracklocross seems super fun, i live next to the biggest park in the city which has a lots of super mellow stuff to mess around and learn.

[manysnakes]

A 90s Hardrock is going to have vertical dropouts and hence going to make a very poor candidate for a singlespeed or fixed gear conversion. 

[Frank]

A 90s Hardrock is going to have vertical dropouts and hence going to make a very poor candidate for a singlespeed or fixed gear conversion.

thanks for the correction. yeah, i looked at the pics on my phone previously and that skewed up the angle a bit i guess. looked like semi horizontal to me before. for single speed i wouldn't mind that much and just get a tensioner, but that kind of defeats the purpose. the frame would have been more like my size than the one i have sitting here with a seized seatpost that has semihorizontal dropouts. maybe i should just finally try and get that seatpost removed before i buy another half done bike lol. i wanted to build it as a guest bike/rat single speed, but i could also just build the tracklocross/mtb hybrid thing with that, if i get the seatpost out.

that's ok because then i don't mind as much. still that one looked really nicely preserved. i once almost bought a specialized mtb frame locally that had semi horizontal drop outs, but i don't remember the model. i think it was a stumpjumper? sorry, i have actually no clue which model was made with which drop outs.

[Frank]

probably buying a sick gt mtb on saturday with and for my roommate. it's so cool, i almost want it myself. a black/blue all terra.

[apport]

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A 90s Hardrock is going to have vertical dropouts and hence going to make a very poor candidate for a singlespeed or fixed gear conversion.

[close]

thanks for the correction. yeah, i looked at the pics on my phone previously and that skewed up the angle a bit i guess. looked like semi horizontal to me before. for single speed i wouldn't mind that much and just get a tensioner, but that kind of defeats the purpose. the frame would have been more like my size than the one i have sitting here with a seized seatpost that has semihorizontal dropouts. maybe i should just finally try and get that seatpost removed before i buy another half done bike lol. i wanted to build it as a guest bike/rat single speed, but i could also just build the tracklocross/mtb hybrid thing with that, if i get the seatpost out.

that's ok because then i don't mind as much. still that one looked really nicely preserved. i once almost bought a specialized mtb frame locally that had semi horizontal drop outs, but i don't remember the model. i think it was a stumpjumper? sorry, i have actually no clue which model was made with which drop outs.

i think some models of old specialized mtbs actually do have horizontal dropouts, i've seen single speed conversions done on hardrock/rockhoppers with no tensioner, i would guess 80's/early early 90's frames only though.

[Síota]

What is up with people joining a bike lane without looking to see if they are cutting someone off? Then when you almost hit them as your skidding trying to stop before hitting them, they act like its your fault? Plus the ones who go barely over walking speed and are constantly in the middle of the two lanes?

[Frank]

What is up with people joining a bike lane without looking to see if they are cutting someone off? Then when you almost hit them as your skidding trying to stop before hitting them, they act like its your fault? Plus the ones who go barely over walking speed and are constantly in the middle of the two lanes?

i don't have answers, but i've been asking the same questions and seeing this post was mildly cathartic.

[Frank]

we bought the bike!

[Skibb]

we bought the bike!

That’s heckin sick. Time to get out in the dirt!

[Síota]

Fuck ya frank! That's sick!

[devourthehours]

My road/gravel bike: Trek Boone

[DiscountCanofTuna]

Went down to grab my bike from my building's storage room for my usual commute to the office this morning, and the thing has disappeared without a trace, so I have to assume it's been stolen. Pretty whack considering there were plenty of other bikes not locked up and pretty much abandoned in there. It wasn't most expensive bike going around (though it did cost me about $1.5k - incl. a front rack and some servicing costs) and I'd be fine financially to replace it even though I didn't insure it.

But man, I'm really just sad about it, having picked it up at the start of covid, it was probably what got me through that couple of years. plus it being a gravel bike it had also got me sparked to explore all the trails and parkland that I didn't know existed so close to and around my city. I've kinda fallen in love with cycling as a result.

In the meantime catch me on the mountain bike I got when I was like 12 or something. Somehow about 15 years later it still works, not the smoothest ride but should be fun until I figure out my next move.

[TastyBurrito]

Went down to grab my bike from my building's storage room for my usual commute to the office this morning, and the thing has disappeared without a trace, so I have to assume it's been stolen. Pretty whack considering there were plenty of other bikes not locked up and pretty much abandoned in there. It wasn't most expensive bike going around (though it did cost me about $1.5k - incl. a front rack and some servicing costs) and I'd be fine financially to replace it even though I didn't insure it.

But man, I'm really just sad about it, having picked it up at the start of covid, it was probably what got me through that couple of years. plus it being a gravel bike it had also got me sparked to explore all the trails and parkland that I didn't know existed so close to and around my city. I've kinda fallen in love with cycling as a result.

In the meantime catch me on the mountain bike I got when I was like 12 or something. Somehow about 15 years later it still works, not the smoothest ride but should be fun until I figure out my next move.

Fuck bike thieves.

On the real, never trust a building's bike room. They're never secured or watched. And if you're forced to use it, always lock it and never leave any lights/bags on it.

Hopefully you get a chance to get a gravel bike again. Since COVID ended and gyms opened up again, a lot of people are dropping bikes that they impulse bought during lock down. Hopefully you can swoop up on something on sale.

[Frank]

Went down to grab my bike from my building's storage room for my usual commute to the office this morning, and the thing has disappeared without a trace, so I have to assume it's been stolen. Pretty whack considering there were plenty of other bikes not locked up and pretty much abandoned in there. It wasn't most expensive bike going around (though it did cost me about $1.5k - incl. a front rack and some servicing costs) and I'd be fine financially to replace it even though I didn't insure it.

But man, I'm really just sad about it, having picked it up at the start of covid, it was probably what got me through that couple of years. plus it being a gravel bike it had also got me sparked to explore all the trails and parkland that I didn't know existed so close to and around my city. I've kinda fallen in love with cycling as a result.

In the meantime catch me on the mountain bike I got when I was like 12 or something. Somehow about 15 years later it still works, not the smoothest ride but should be fun until I figure out my next move.

that fucking sucks i'd be dead depressed getting a bike like that stolen. i got one of mine stolen a while ago and that was just a rat singlespeed, yet it still hurt a lot because i just liked it so much.

nethertheless, i hope you enjoy old mtb. i've been fully on the the retro mtb train for a few years, and now they are my favorite bikes. you could look up youtube how to convert that thing into something like a modern gravel bike, too. not sure what year we are talking about, but if it's 00s model and newer they are would be even better to convert i guess. i am also biased towards mtbs becuause they fit my body type way better than a road bike.